Originally Posted by
Brian Ratliff
OP:
Four days later and you are still peeved by a passing incident. You've got some issues.
Personally, I don't buy your story. I think the guy passed you cleanly, outside the bike lane but not 12' away, said "hi" as he was passing. You weren't paying attention and it startled you. I doubt you are very comfortable controlling your bike. I'd even question whether you weren't wearing headphones or something, or even if you had a tail light on your "dark, foggy night".
You do realize that 12' would be riding right next to the road median, a full car lane width away from you? That's excessive. And how in the world would you pull someone over to "have a chat"? There's no way I'm going to stop for a stranger at 10pm on a dark, foggy night; cyclist or not. That's just tough guy internet talk you are engaging in.
No he passed me in the bike lane , practically brushing me. I don't have to "sell' you on this.
I don't care what you think about my bike handling skills, we do not ride together, or know each other, so t's a moot point.
I have been road cycling since 1974.
I have two taillights, blinkers, one on the back of my helmet, one on the frame. I also have a 6" reflective triangle, red reflectors, side reflectors, pedal reflectors. I have a halogen headlamp securely attached to my helmet, 200 foot range. I have a handlebar mount Cateye light.
I have a police/sports whistle, and an air horn.
You have no idea how wide this road was, you were not there, therefore, you cannot assess anything on the distance of passage. Nice try on the headphone thing, though.
Three feet actually would have been do-able for me with a quick toot on a horn or whistle as he approached.
I chat with people all the time around here, some buy bikes from me as a result. See my post about the nice woman I met today.
If you don't wanna chat with me and just pass, as maybe you're late for dinner, etc. hey that's cool, Bro'.
Go ahead and pass, just give me a friendly warning and go ahead, But don't blast past me within inches of my bars and blurt out some stupid BS with a sneer on your face.
I'm actually fine emotionally now, but when I wrote that, yeah I was pissed beause I was put into a potentially dangerous situation for what? Someone else's ego.
And I am learning a lot about the attitudes of other riders out there. Now I understand why motorists can get so hostile when I have done absolutely nothing wrong
If you are so sick of this thread, then go elsewhere. Why are you attacking me? I don't have to prove my competence as a rider to you. All of it would really boil down to what a court judge would rule if there had been a collision.